The National tribune., 1887-12-15
A BOY SPY In DIXIE.
CONTINUED from LIST page J

Continued from 1st page.)
upon my personal appearance, and perhaps best
of all in compelling me to be still, for my
safety and perhaps my life.
When / stumbled back TO my hotel was met
at the office by young clerk, who said he had
been directed to introduce me to Col. -.
Would be seated a mOment7"
had right to expect, of course, that was
to meet some of the Maryland people of whom
the proprietor had spoken, but dreaded the
interview nevertheless. However when saw
the Colonel (quite an ordinary-lOOking man,
with a jolly round face and pleasant manner)
my fears subsided and was able TO feel easy in
his presence. / was introduced to several
Others as a Maryland boy who was sick among
strangers, and / didn't have to make up" for
tho character of sick youth. My appearance
did have the effect of creating some sympathy,
which was kindly expressed TO me. The Colonel
said:
"You have letter to send home, am told ?"
Yes. sir; 1 want to get some money very
much. / don't want to 60 home, but would
like TO send for some money"
"Ah, yes, of course; that can easily be fixed.
All you have to do is to put United States
stamp on your letter"
4" But don't have to pay something for the
delivery"
"Well. no, you don't have TO; but as IL goes
TO foreign country, you know, we generally
pay the messengers n little for their risk"
Thanking the Colonel took my letter out
Of the envelope and begged that he would read
il, so that the envelope could have the benefit
of his Endorsement. He did not think that
necessary at all, but insisted that he should
learn of my affairs and my address, so that If
anything should happen 10 me- some Maryland
people would know who was. That was a
good shot and took effect He felt that had
given him my entire confidence as a brother
exile from home and in distress, and he read
my letter hastily-that is, he glanced at the
address and the paragraph wherein had espe-
cially asked for money. No doubt he was i'm
pressed with the truth of the statement that
had made, that all Maryland refugees were
hard up. Sealing the letter in his presence, I
handed it to him with tender of a fraction of
the money which had left,
TO PAY THE FOREIGN POSTAGE"
"0h, no." he said 4" will not take your
money for this; it's not necessary. Where shall
your answer be delivered-here2"
This was something had not thought about,
and for moment / was embarrassed. re-
membered that | had referred to my regiment
in my letter, and was about to say that the let
ter could be sent there, when the thought sud-
denly came over me, what if / should be ques-
toned on this regiment? The Colonel noticing
my hesitancy, and no doubt mistaking its true
You had better go along over to Col. Jones
and be registered, If you have not already done
so"
had not attended to this matter Of register
ing my name and address among the refugees
from Baltimore, and without knowing exactly
what would come of it, | consented do so at
once, as he had suggested. Pointing to build
ding on the opposite side of the square little
below where st. Pauls church is located, he
said:
"Thats Col J. B. Jones's Office, and IL you
can go with me / will introduce you to him
and You can have all your Maryland mail come
to his care"
X / went along across the square with the Colo.
mel, and was formally introduced to Col. Jones
as worthy Maryland refugee in distress.
am giving the correct name here, because he
was well-known character in Richmond dur
ing the war. He impressed me as an agreeable
rather jolly, gray-haired gentleman of the old
school, l remember him pleasantly, as If it was
but week since the day saw him in Rich.
mond. During the walk across the square my
companion had explained to me that Col Jones
was himself a refugee, having been run or fired
out of Philadelphia, where, If I remember
Alright, he had been printing weekly paper
which had been rather too outspoken in il:
sympathy for the South. and as q consequence
had been suppressed. The Colonel further in.
that President Davis had organized this tenn
porary bureau for the eg>,tration and general
| information Of refugees and others who might
| by the necessities of war be driven from theil
/ homes and would naturally grayitate to Rich
mond. 1t was also understood that any person!
desiring information in regard to Maryland
refugees, already in the army, should apply
at this bureau. This was not exactly thC
sort of place that ! had been hankerlng Il
register myself at, but was in for 1t now
and had TO 20 through. Col. Jones gave me
/ his courteous attention for quite a Ions
/ while, aud apparently became interested in the
/ little bit of my history" that / dealt out Il
him. 1t is likely that my sckly, innocent-look
/ ing appearance had operated somewhat upor
the generous sympathes OF Col. Jones. he as
sured me in his most agreeable manner that
any time at all that had a letter for my home
10 just drop il into his postoflice and he would
see that IL went out by the " first mail" Thi
was indeed quite satisfactory to myself and my
companion, who had placed the letter in the
/ Colonel's hands. While in Mr.. Jones's pres
ence happened 10 recall that I had when Q
boy read book over and over again written
by ]. b. Jones, that had made great impres
sion upon my youthful mind, and had wor
SHIPPED the name in consequences ever since
The title of the book was wild Western
Scenes"
THE COLONEL LAUGHED HEARTILY,
and, taking my hand, gave me a second joll,
shake as he said:
81 have met another Of my boys Every
where have been someone who has read IN,
book has asked me that question"
/ had accomplished one very important ste
in this business With Col. Jones's bureau
had opened communication with Washington
from my location in Richmond. There was O
course danger that my letters might fall int
the wrong hands up North, but as the persO
who carried them must, for his own protection
keep quiet, it was probable that no effort woul
made TO look after their destination one
they were safely placed in Uncle Sans post
Office somewhere. was liable to be picked u
in Richmond almost any day by persons VIII
had known me at Montgomery and Pensacoli
or more recently at Manassas and in BeaurC
CARDS camp Knowing that / could not trayC
in the same rough manner, felt wonderful
relieved TO know that the letter just MALE
would surely go through much more speedil
than | could travel at my hest, and il containe
in substance all that could report by pei
sonal trip, which was in fact that
First. The Confederate army could not ad
vance, because % per cent. were sick, grea
many absent on leave and the rest as muc
demoralized after their victory as our ow
troops by our defeat
/ A. 4. a.. n